


Someone I Can’t Fall In Love With

by Yslen



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Ladynoir July 2020, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:34:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25430203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yslen/pseuds/Yslen
Summary: Ladybug agreed with Chat Noir when he suggested that they should finally share their identities with each other, but she’s been dreading it ever since.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 16
Kudos: 210





	Someone I Can’t Fall In Love With

“I can’t do it!” Marinette squeaked, her hands flying up to cover her eyes. Chat froze, the detransformation words fizzling out before he’d had the chance to give them voice.  
  
“What’s wrong My Lady?” He asked softly, his head involuntarily inclined as he took a half step towards Ladybug. Of the two of them he had always been the one keen to share their identities, but they had already agreed there was no longer any reason to keep these secrets from each other, so he hadn’t anticipated that she might change her mind.  
  
“I… I’m not ready,” she mumbled through her hands, which were now covering most of her face. “It’s… complicated. There are some things I… I haven’t…” she let out a long breath, an eye peeking through her fingers seeing him still standing before her, and still Chat Noir. She lowered her hands, but didn’t seem quite sure what to do with them. Biting her lip she turned away, leaning heavily against the railing with her forearms, chin resting in her hands. Chat watched her from where he stood, wanting to be sure he gave her all the space she needed.  
  
After a moment she glanced over her shoulder at him, one sad eye meeting his gaze. Then she straightened and extended a hand toward him. Chat found himself staring at it. Then, forcing himself into motion, he stepped forward to take it in his own, standing beside her and sharing her view over the sleeping city. The warm weight of her head pressed against his shoulder.  
  
“I lied to you before,” she began in a quiet voice. “Well, not lied - not really - I just… I didn’t answer your question even though I knew… well I didn’t want to think about… I…” she took a deep breath. Chat said nothing, but squeezed her hand a little more tightly. “You asked me once whether if the… the boy I love didn’t exist, then… then would things be different. With you.”  
  
Chat couldn’t resist turning to look at her, his heart suddenly hammering in his chest. The movement unsettled her, though, and she moved away from him; just a half step, but the cold air between them now felt endless. He let her hand follow, watching it fall by her side. She was still staring out at the lights of Paris.  
  
“The answer is… yes. Yes things would be different,” she said carefully. “But... I love him, and as much as I’ve tried to move on, I… I just can’t. And that means I… we…” Her words trailed off into silence.  
  
“My Lady?” Chat prompted. “I’m not sure I understand?”  
  
She turned to face him, and he was grateful for his steadying hand on the balcony railing. She was so beautiful, the emotion on her face clear even through the mask.  
  
“You know how I feel about you, Chat. I know you do.”  
  
He felt his eyes widen, his mouth moving as he struggled to form the words of a response. Any response. Any words. He had hoped that somewhere maybe Ladybug did feel something for him in return, but he had always known it was just his own wishful thinking. She had been clear about her feelings almost from the start. But now…  
  
“I trust you more than anyone, Chat. With my life.” She gave a small laugh. “Several times a week, in fact. And you’re a wonderful friend, too… everything we’ve been through together…” she shook her head. “I’m not saying this right.”  
  
“It’s okay,” Chat said, not wanting her to stop. She sighed, perhaps noticing that he had barely managed those two words without stammering.  
  
“What I’m trying to say is… is that if we do this and I learn who you are behind your mask then I’ll no longer be able to tell myself you’re someone I can’t fall in love with,” she finished in one rapid breath.  
  
Before Chat could respond, fingers numb from gripping the railing so tightly, she went on.  
  
“And it wouldn’t be fair to you. Because I’ll still love him too. I know I will, I… I’ve tried not to but… I just ended up hurting someone.” She turned away again, but not before Chat saw the beginnings of tears in her eyes. “I can’t do that to you too,” she whispered.  
  
He crossed the space between them, placed a hand on her shoulder and, when she turned toward him, pulled her into a hug. He had been ready for her to resist, ready to back away if he had overstepped, but she sank into him, her arms encircling his neck and her face pressing against his chest.  
  
“Spots off”, she said, her voice muffled and punctuated with a sniff. Chat’s breath caught in his throat.  
  
Her hold on him loosened as she backed away just far enough for him to meet her tear-filled eyes again. Shock jolted through him.  
  
“Hello,” she said weakly, “my name’s Marinette. I live with my parents at the little bakery on Rue Gotlib, I go to Françoise Dupont high school and…”  
  
Her gaze fell away once more.  
  
“And... I’m in love with a boy called Adrien Agreste,” she finished. The words came softly, as though she knew they would hurt him. “I’m sorry Chat. I’m sorry that I can’t be the person you want me to be.”  
  
For Adrien in that moment the only sound in all of Paris was his own heartbeat. It was a struggle to say anything at all, but right then he only needed two words.  
  
“Claws in,” he whispered breathlessly, his hand finding Marinette’s cheek and drawing her deep blue eyes back up to meet his own, watching as they widened with surprise.  
  
“You’re everything I wanted you to be.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first fic, based on a silly idea for a scene that popped into my head. I hope you like it!
> 
> Thanks to MiaBrown / @miabrown007 for reading this through, and for giving some much needed advice and confidence!


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